Please Don’t Visit Reindeer in Shopping Centres
Reindeer are not native to England, although there is a wild herd in Scotland. These unique deer are adapted for very cold climates, so don’t worry about them shivering in the Highlands! Unlike most deer, females also have antlers, their hooves changing shape with the seasons, to navigate different weathers. Deer are also excellent wild swimmers, and swim further than any other land mammal on earth.
Reindeer keep warm due to a special two-layered coat that traps air, and even their noses (unique for deer) are covered in air, to keep warm. Even their eye colour changes with the seasons, to see in low light (in Scandinavia, it’s dark for half the year, most of the time).
Reindeer sometimes even click their knees as they walk, to help them find each other in blizzards. And they easily survive on lichen, grass, leaves and tree shoots.
So please don’t visit reindeer who are often taken to warm and brightly-lit shopping centres around the Christmas season, in order to ‘entertain children’. They are dazzled by the lights, way too warm and often get scared by the noise of music and excited children.
Reindeer (even if tame) are semi-wild Arctic animals, who need to live in the wild cold northern hemisphere weather. They also suffer stress, over-crowding and over-heating in transport, to the shopping centres (sometimes hundreds of miles away).
Reindeer are also very strong and powerful beasts. And sometimes may be castrated to calm them down, in case they could attack children.
Animal welfare charity Born Free is asking all parents not to take their children to reindeer events in shopping centres. Instead, teach them to respect and care for native wildlife, and let wild reindeer roam wild, where they belong.
Happily, many councils seem to now be on board by not allowing such events. If you know of any upcoming near you, raise the red flag, by sending a report to Born Free, who will politely contact the council and educate on why this is not a good idea.
